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Hi Everyone

I am currently looking into restoring an old Wester Bros piano, serial number 75280

It is a monstrous upright piano with a built-in step shelf and shelf mirror, but I cannot seem to find the model number or make wherever I look. If anyone has any manual or patent that could help me with the repairs (felt needs to be replaced, 3 keys are broken, pedals don't work) Then it would be much appreciated.

Could the piano brand be ‘Weser’ (without the T)?
Here are some old catalogues


https://antiquepianoshop.com/online-museum/weser-brothers/

And some additional information
https://www.lindebladpiano.com/library/weser-brothers

I agree with you, dogperson.

To the OP, there are several makes that would be close to "Wester", like Westermeyer or Westerlund. Is this possible?

You should also be aware that a fine restoration of a vintage piano is very much like restoring a fine piece of art (this comparison was presented to me by one of my rebuilders. He has had a career in both fields.) It is very difficult to do it well, and it is very easy to do it terribly.

The original Weser was a fine instrument. We have rebuilt a Weser grand in the past that performed beautifully. I will add that in today's marketplace this will not be an investment that will result in raising the value above what you invest into the piano, at least in most cases.

Good luck in your project and if you wish to post some photos of the piano, interior and exterior, including a profile of the piano action, we can be more helpful. In fact, the best place to post those photos would be in the technician's forum.

Good luck!

It's possible the built-in step shelf and shelf mirror were modifications done decades after the piano was built. This was a fad at one time, making older upright pianos appear a bit more modern.

Best way to restore it is to look on Craigslist in Free Stuff for a piano in better shape, with a case that has not been modified, and start with that.

I have to agree with BDB. That mirror fad was stupid and always eventually results in breakage. Floyd Stevens was the "brainchild" behind that. Failure...

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

I'm curious, what did this mirror trend look like? I tried googling but am not sure what I found is the right thing. Is it just a big long mirror along the top?

I'm curious, too...

Gombessa,

That is exactly it. Also notice in your photo that a music rack had been installed and the normal "toe blocked" legs are not there anymore.

There are more tasteful modifications than the photo you found, but the bottom line was that for the money spent cutting up the piano, adding more modern looking legs, removing "Victorian" trim, and adding a music rack, you could almost buy another piano.

My 2 cents,

I confess I’m baffled by the aesthetic that led anyone to think those modifications were an improvement… but to each their own.

The idea was that the mirror would show the opposite wall, making the piano seem shorter. But it never seemed to work that way for me.

Ah, it's interesting, I can see why it was a trend for a while. In the pics I saw, the mirror kind of just sits on top of the piano lid. I guess they had versions where the entire front panel and music rest were mirrors?

As a pianist, I'd sometimes like a "rear view mirror" but it does seem kind of gauche.

If they did, I hope I never come across one. It's bad enough looking into a mirror when I absolutely have to. I would not want to see myself while playing. Not a pretty sight!

Cheers!

Actually Gombessa, the top of the strings and the tuning pins are behind the mirror. The mirror makes the piano appear smaller as 54 to 56 inch uprights had become "old fashioned" looking. Then they cut the cabinet of the piano and literally lowered the lid, which was usually then screwed down because it was placed right above the position of the hammers in the old design.

Is that more easily understood?

Here is a very nicely done modification;

https://images.app.goo.gl/bTutuREURvY3L5EG6

Do those Queen Anne legs look odd on on that cabinet, or were there uprights of the period of that size with that style legs?

Regards,

Thanks Rich, that makes a lot of sense, and I can see why they wanted to achieve that effect. 🙏

Honestly, it doesn't strike me as all that bad at all, I can kind of get why it was en vogue. And clearly I haven't experienced it for the downsides that have earned it the immediate ire here.

But at least from the pictures, it did look just like a decorative mirror atop a smaller cabinet.

The PROBLEM is that the mirror is held in place with two small screws and a plastic "flower". Every time it is tuned it must be removed. One SLIGHT overturn of one of the screws BREAKS THE MIRROR! That is of course if the mirror does not get broken being put aside for the tuning.

So...who should be responsible for removing and replacing the mirror at tuning time...the tuner, or the owner? What would you say?

Peter Grey Piano Doctor

I would say ‘the owner’. The tech should not assume responsibility.

They do look odd, Bruce. Those were not original to that piano. They were added to help achieve a more modern, or at least a less Victorian, look.

Sounds like you've had to deal with this issue before! I think if the look itself isn't offensive, what you describe is more of an implementation problem. Presumably it's possible to achieve the desired look with more durable glass and better fasteners. But I'm just musing here, I have no idea...